What if
by Ryn Turner
Summary: When his crew starts experiencing odd halluncinations, Captain Malcolm Reed sets out to find out why. (AU some, normal timeline other) *Chapter 4 up (very short)*
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer and author's ramblings:

*Anything I use in this story, except for figments of my imagination, belong to the grand folks @ Paramount.*

Well, I'm taking a break from my other story, it will be finished soon though.

This one was a random thought in my head, which I then put down on paper. It's a cross-universe one, but not like ShootinSta's current one, Realities. Mine's more a 'What-if?' story, where the crew of Enterprise finds out that something happened to them, and that they've lost their true destinies. 

If I've just confused you, sorry, like it says at the top of the page: Author's Ramblings.

Well, I hope you'll enjoy this story,

Luv yas!

~Aeryn


	2. Chapter 1

Captain Malcolm Reed paced the bridge. His crew would watch him go back and forth, from the tactical station to communications. They could have sworn that he was making a hole in the deck.

"Captain?" interrupted Lieutenant Mayweather.

"Yes?" Reed answered, quickly turning to face his Armory officer.

"I think that you've done enough pacing for today."

Reed sighed. Lt. Mayweather was right again. "Alright. I'll be in my ready room. Commander T'Len?" Reed called out, beckoning the attention of his Vulcan science officer, "You have the con."

*~*~*

Lieutenant Hoshi Sato walked in the mess hall, and looked around. There was no one around, but that was expected, for it was midnight.

//I guess I'll just help myself.// she thought, and headed over to the galley.

She opened the doors to find a fellow crewman. "Mr. Tucker!" she called out, "I thought I was all alone in here."

The man turned around. "Oh, hello ma'm. I'm just cleaning up in here. Chef's meatloaf isn't exactly the easiest thing to clean up."

Hoshi walked over to him. "Here Ensign, let me help." she said, reaching for some dishes.

"Oh, it's alright Ma'm." the ensign hastily replied. "What do you need?"

"Actually, I was just looking for a muffin."

Tucker walked over to the display case and got her a muffin. "Here y'are." he said, handing over the muffin.

"Thank you very much. You try to get some sleep, alright?" she said, "Tara will be worried if you're not there in the morning."

"Yes ma'm." Tucker replied.

"Goodnight."

"G'night." answered Tucker.

As Hoshi left the mess hall, she couldn't help feeling, deep down inside, that something was... off about Ensign Tucker. Almost as if he shouldn't be down working in the mess hall, that he should be doing something more important. But the feeling quickly dissipated, and she heading back to her quarters, muffin in hand. 


	3. Chapter 2

A/N's: [ ]= "hallucinations" or otherwise known as fragmented memories of the real universe.

Malcolm Reed couldn't sleep. Something kept nagging at him, a feeling that something was wrong. He had tried calling the bridge about it, but Commander Archer had told him to go to bed. 

//Great.// he thought, //I'll never be able to sleep like this.//

He turned over for what seemed like the thousandth time. He then felt a sudden urge to close his eyes and-

[ Everything was blurry. He was running, ever running. Voices were calling him.

"Malcolm!" called out an accented voice, oddly familiar....

"Lt. Reed!" another called out, closer than the first.

//Lieutenant?// he thought to himself.

"I'm not a Lieutenant!" he tried to call out, but then it all started to disappear... ]

Malcolm sat up, sweating and nervous.

"What the hell was that?"

*~*

Ensign Charles Tucker III headed back to his quarters after his shift. Mess hall duty was hard, but at least he was on Enterprise. He had never much been gifted at anything, so just serving on Earth's first deep-space vessel was a dream come true. 

He saw few people in the hallways between the mess hall and his quarters. He supposed since it was late, most people were at their stations or asleep.

An odd sensation drew him out of his thoughts. It began at the bottom of his neck, and worked all the way up to his head. The hallway halls began to blur, and he was only dimly aware of where he stood.

[ Purge the impulse manifolds ]

[ EPS conduits need to be rewired ]

[ Pecan pie tonight ]

As quickly as it began, the sensation stopped. He staggered for a moment and grabbed onto a wall for support.

//What manifolds?!// he thought, thoroughly confused, //What EPS conduits?! And what the hell does pecan pie have to do with all of it?//

He waited a moment until his head had cleared slightly, and walked through the last hallway before his quarters.

He walked into a completely foreign room. 

He didn't recognize anything. Some part of his rational mind told him that this must be his quarters, but he did not see anything familiar about it.

He noticed a small child, no older than six standing near one of the walls of the cramped quarters.

"Daddy?" she asked softly.

"Who-who are you?" he said, stumbling on the words.

"I'm your daughter, Tara." she said, a look of confusion crossing her face. "What's wrong, Daddy?" she asked worridly.

He looked frantically around, and slowly backed up. "I'm sorry," he said nervously, "I have to go." He turned and ran off, leaving a very confused and frightened child behind.

*Sorry about this chapter, I didn't quite like it myself, so I don't blame you if you dislike it as well. I had strepthroat the past few days, so now I'm trying to catch up on my writing. X-Mas is soon, so then I'll have loads of time to write! :) Happy Holidays to all you out there too!*


	4. Chapter 3

Captain Reed sat in his chair, rubbing at his eyes. He had not been able to fall asleep again after his dream, if that's what it was. He couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, that had really happened, and that something bigger was going on...  
  
His train of thought was interrupted by the voice of Commander T'Len.  
  
"Captain, there is a Vulcan ship hailing us."  
  
"Onscreen." He replied.  
  
A very familiar face appeared on screen, although Captain Reed was certain he had never met her in his life.  
  
"I am Captain-" The Vulcan started.  
  
"T'Pol. I know." he interrupted.  
  
She lifted her eyebrows at him. "Have we met before, Captain Reed?" she asked.  
  
"No, no." he responded hastily, "I have heard of you from my science officer."  
  
"I see."  
  
He sighed. "Why have you contacted us, Captain T'Pol?"  
  
"Your vessel passed through an uncharted anomaly two weeks ago. My government requests any data you may have collected."  
  
Captain Reed was puzzled. "I'm sorry, Captain, but you must be mistaken. We haven't passed through any anomaly in quite some time."  
  
T'Pol raised her eyebrows once more. "I see. I will have to contact my superiors. Thank you, Captain Reed."  
  
The screen went dark. //What was that all about?// Malcolm Reed asked himself. //This day just keeps on getting more and more confusing.//  
  
  
  
  
  
****Sorry this chapter is so damn short, I REALLY wanted to update today, so it's short. More will follow quite soon, probably tomorrow (Jan.2). Thanks for all the super reviews! Keep them coming!**** 


	5. Chapter 4

"I'm sorry, Tara, I don't know what came over me." Ensign Tucker said, hugging his daughter.

"It's okay." she said softly.

"I believe you suffered from a momentary memory loss, Ensign, although I have had several other crewmembers reporting the same symptoms as you, memory loss and such. I don't know what do make of it." The Denobulan paused, seeming to consider something in his mind.

"Am I fine to leave?" Ensign Tucker asked.

"Oh, yes," the doctor said, seeming preoccupied, "Just come back if you experience any more memory loss."

"Thanks doc." The ensign got off of the biobed and headed out the door with his daughter.

*~*

Sub-Commander T'Len watched her captain think. The conversation with Captain T'Pol had clearly unnerved him. 

What unnerved her was that she had never told Captain Reed about Captain T'Pol, because T'Len herself had never heard of her. The anomaly that Captain T'Pol spoke of was also odd, since Enterprise had not traversed one in quite some time.

All these facts combined were a big mystery. Some part of her felt that something was off, that maybe they had passed through an anomaly...

She shook her head abruptly. Instinctive feelings were not a basis for Vulcan thinking. Until she got some real facts, she would wait.

*Again, it's quite short. I have a real problem with short chapters, and I am quite sorry about it. I will make a big effort for a longer chapter next time.*


End file.
